Natasha landed the stealth quinjet as close as she could to the base without compromising themselves and Clint and Kate walked the rest of the way. Her estimations were close as it took just a little more than five minutes on foot to get there. Kate figured the extra time was caused by the snow that started to fall in thick sheets. Soon the large concrete building was in their sight.
"This is weird, right? Kate asked suddenly as they came up to a large steel locked door.
"Huh?"
Kate kneeled down and started picking the lock. "You know. The work wife, the ex-wife, you, and just I working together."
Clint waved a hand, dismissing her statement. "Nah, it's not."
The lock yielded to Kate's efforts and unlocked with a loud thud. She twisted around and grinned up at Clint in triumph. She then took a stand back as Clint tensed himself and stood in front of the door. "On three."
One
Two
Three
He kicked the door open with one fluid movement and they entered, bows at the ready. "Clear." he called out, declaring the area clear of hostiles. They made their way down the hallway. They reached a dead end and took a right down another hallway, Kate taking the lead this time.
"Just you?" Clint repeated.
"I feel like it's a little weird. Like they're judging me or something."
The hallway widened out and Clint fell into step beside her. "Bobbi's been nice and Nat…well…" He paused then shrugged. "I mean, she's not the quickest person to warm up to but I don't think it's been weird."
"Easy for you to say." Kate said with a small eye roll. "You two have that mind meld thing going on."
"Wait," Clint reached out and stopped her. "You aren't jealous, are you?" A teasing smirk pulled at his lips and his eyes narrowed playfully. "You're jealous. I sometimes forget you're only nine years old."
Kate scowled at him. "I'm twenty one, Barton. And don't be stupid, of course I'm not jealous." She freed her arm from his hold and continued down the hallway. "Sometimes I think I don't fit in well with your day job and the people in it."
"Huh?"
"I mean, they're both Avengers too. So you guys have that. You and Natasha have known each other for forever. You and Bobbi are still close. Then there's just me."
Clint reached out once more and grabbed her hand. "You don't think that's enough?" She looked away but he continued. "Just Katie. Maybe that's what I need."
She opened her mouth to argue when Bobbi's voice suddenly crackled in her ear. "You guys know we can hear everything you're saying, right?"
Kate cursed, the heat of embarrassment flushing her neck. She had forgotten all about the stupid coms. Feeling thoroughly humiliated, she put some speed in her step and passed by Clint.
She reached the end of the hallway before Clint. It emptied out into a balcony overlooking a large room. It looked to Kate like it may have once been a laboratory. Not much was left now just some spare tables and equipment. It certainly looked abandoned. Kate was half a second away from saying it out loud when she noticed something that made her heart stop.
Across the room, painted on a wall, was a Hydra symbol.
As if on cue, men in uniforms entered into the room below them. Kate spotted the Hydra seal proudly displayed on their sleeves. Clint walked up behind her and started to speak but Kate dropped to the floor, pulling him down with her. He yelped in surprise.
"What are you doing?"
"Shut up, shut up!" Kate hissed at him. She gestured the giant symbol and the men in the room below them. "Have A.I.M changed their logo lately?"
"Hawkeyes, what's going on out there?"
Clint cursed quietly and put a hand over his eyes, ignoring Bobbi. He stayed in that position for a moment. He finally removed his hand but stayed silent. He crouched forward as far as he could without being seen. Kate watched as his eyes darted back and forth, surveying the whole room. He finally leaned back on his hunches.
"Barton? Bishop? Someone better start talking right now." This time it was Natasha's voice in their ear.
"Twelve men in sight," He listed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Automatic guns, knives on most. That's just what I see down there. There's no way of telling who else is here." He dragged his hand angrily across his face. "This is real cute, Tasha. You find your leak yet?"
Kate threw him a questioning look. Leak? She mouthed. He shook his head sharply at her, silently promising to fill her in later.
"We just did actually."
There was something unspoken but that lingered in her voice. "What else, Nat?"
Kate sore she heard the spy sigh. "That intel is legit. We really do need it." She paused. "It could save a lot of lives."
Kate watched the emotions filter across Clint's face. He was conflicted but she knew he'd never turn away from something that help people. He chewed on his bottom lip angrily. "Well it's nice to know that not everything that's come out of your mouth today was a lie."
If the barb affected The Widow, it didn't show in her tone. "It's up to you, Clint. We're leveling the building in 15 minutes. Get out now or get the information then get out. Make a decision and-"
Static burst onto the line before The Widow could complete her sentence. Kate pulled the earbud out before it burst her eardrum. Clint already had his out and Kate watched as he threw them on the ground in frustration.
"Someone's jamming the line. They know we're here." He said. "We need to get moving."
"What's the plan?"
"You go back to the Quinjet. I'm going to get the intel and I'll meet you there."
"Like hell I will." Kate spat out angrily. Her anger only rose as he dumbly stared at her. "What part of I'm not bailing, did you not understand?"
Clint blinked and Kate fought the urge to strangle him. "I'm not your little sidekick that needs protecting, Clint. I thought we were a team."
"We are." He said haltingly. His eyes closed once more and Kate watched him collect his composure, slipping it back on piece by piece. Finally the mask was completed. When he opened his eyes again they shined with bright intensity.
Kate reached out and lightly touched his hand. "I've got your back, Hawkeye."
"I know you do, Hawkeye." A smiled ghosted over his face then he was back to business. "I'll go get the intel if you can keep them off my back."
"I can do that. You know where you're going?"
Clint scoffed at her. "Of course I know where I'm going." He reached into his quiver and pulled out an arrow. He tipped it in Kate's direction with a wag of his eyebrows. "Grapping hook arrow."
"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Kate muttered as she watched the archer silently stand and loose the arrow. The only sound to be heard to was a small whoosh of the arrow cutting through the air, traveling to the other side of the room.
With a grin and jerk of his head he beckoned her to his side. She joined him on the thin metal rail with no hesitation. He snaked a strong arm around her waist and off of the rail they leapt. They landed on the bottom level in a tucked roll and were able to take out two agents a piece before their presence was fully realized. Two more agents each were downed before the remaining men could draw their weapons.
The knife cut the air a fraction above Kate's ear, surprising her more than actually hurting her. In almost slow motion, she saw a lock of her own raven hair float to the ground. In real time, she had an arrow through his shoulder before the man's next breath.
"Katie?" Clint called out while knocking an agent to the ground with a heavy punch. "You ok?"
"I'm good." She answered, delivering a roundhouse kick to a man who foolishly tried to engage her. They both turned to the last standing man, who suddenly looked quite pale. He started to run but was stopped by arrows in both kneecaps.
The pair collected the arrows from the fallen men quickly. "You ready to go?" Clint asked.
"Right behind ya, boss." Kate answered. Clint gave a tight nod and sprinted out of the room, down another dark hallway. She didn't hear the HYDRA agent sneaking up until it was too late. She barely felt the butt of his gun smash into the back of her head. Her warning cry died on her lips and the world quickly faded into blackness.
Kate decided that Clint wasn't completely useless as a mentor. He had taught her a few good things. As Kate returned to conciseness, she could hear his voice as clearly as if he were lying beside her.
"Here's what you do if you're ever knocked out. When you wake up, don't open your eyes. Pretend that you're still out of it. They'll likely be still deciding if they want to kill you, girly girl. And they'll make that decision a lot quicker if they know you're awake."
So she laid there and focused on her breaths, evening them out. She concentrated on getting her bearings. Widow said that they were going to blow up the building. She was still alive and not blown into millions of pieces so she couldn't have been out for long. She heard the sounds of approaching footsteps and voices joined them. She strained to hear their words.
"Who is left?"
"Only the girl."
"She will be no problem if she is as easy to kill as the other one."
Clint. Kate bit back the bile that creeped up her throat, threating to spill out. They couldn't be talking about him, she thought desperately. Clint was many things, but easy to kill was not one. She was yanked out of her thoughts as she was pulled bodily from off the floor by the front of her shirt.
Rude.
Kate forced her body go limp, her head falling backwards, then suddenly snapped it forward into the man's forehead. He let her go as blood gushed down his face. She landed in a crouch and quickly swept the legs out from underneath the injured man.
"Ow." She complained, holding her aching head. She wasn't given much time to recover as a second man rushed her. She dodged the first punch easily and managed to land one of her own across the man's jaw. He stumbled momently but shook off the blow easily.
There were still three men and all had an easy 100 or more pound advantage on her. She needed her bow and fast. Thinking fast, she bent backwards to doge to next flurry of hits. She balanced her hands on the floor and wrapped her legs around the stunned man's neck. Using all of her strength, she flipped the man up and over her body and slammed him to the floor.
Clint had once showed her a video of the Black Widow doing that move. Kate thought it was the coolest thing ever and Clint had bet that she'd never be able to do it. If -when- she found him she'd be twenty dollars richer. It was also brought to her attention that she was no Natasha Romanoff and she would most certainly be sore in the morning.
Ignoring her now screaming muscles, Kate got back on her feet and made a running start towards her bow and quiver that laid across the room. She slid between another man's legs, landing a punch in a very sensitive area and bringing him to his knees.
She grabbed her bow and notched an arrow. She aimed for the last standing man. She loosed the arrow at the same time the bullet left his gun. The bullet caught her side a second before her arrow pinned his arm to the wall.
She gasped and grabbed her side. She blanched when she pulled back a bloody hand. She hissed as she felt the wound. The bullet had only creased her as far as she could tell. She pushed the pain down as much as she could and tried to focus. She knew she'd survive. It was Clint she wasn't sure about. The man's words made her nervous. Clint was one of the most stubborn person she knew. So if they were convinced they had killed him, he might not be in the best shape.
She made her way out of the room and slinked down the dark hallway staying close to the wall. The florescent lights flickered eerily above her. She needed a way to get backup. Widow and Mockingbird were only a few minutes away. She just needed to alert them.
It was she leaned against the cool concrete wall fighting off a wave of nausea that she saw it. She wouldn't have ever noticed it if the light hadn't happen to catch it the way it did. She made her way over to the small object.
Clint's Avengers ID.
Tony Stark had once told her that each ID was made especially for each Avenger and would respond to their touch. An Avenger was able to add different contacts in case of emergencies. Clint never mentioned adding her or anyone else for that matter. Trying to activate it was a long shot, but a chance she had to take.
Trying not to dwell on why it was laying in the hallway and not on its owner, Kate held her thumb on the circler A and watched as it scanned her fingerprint. She chocked back a sob of relief when a holographic picture of her arose from the piece of plastic and she was greeted by the voice of Stark's A.I. Jarvis.
"Katherine Bishop a.k.a. Hawkeye. How may I assist you, Ms. Bishop?"
"I need back up, like right now, please."
"Of course." Jarvis paused. After a few seconds he spoke again. "I have alerted Agents Romanoff and Morse. They are on their way. Do you or Agent Barton need medical assistance?"
"Yeah, Clin-Agent Barton may." Kate spoke as she made her way back down the hallway. "I've just got to find him first."
"If you will keep Agent Barton's ID with you the GPS will lead them to you. I'll be right here if you need any more assistance, Ms. Bishop."
"Thank you, Jarvis."
"My pleasure, Ms. Bishop."
She kept moving although it was getting harder to do. Her steps had transformed into a limp and the hand she had clamped around her side was slick with blood. But she kept moving, stepping around fallen bodies. Most seemed to still be breathing. Clint must have put up a good fight. She could hear shouting and knew it'd only be a matter of time before they found her. She needed to find Clint. The wall opened up into a large room and Kate causational peered inside. Her heart stopped when she saw a body with a nest of dirty blond hair heaped in a pile in the middle of the floor.
Clint
She made her way into the room and dropped down by his side. She bit back another wave of nausea. There was blood everywhere.
"Clint?" She cried out. "Clint? Can you hear me?"
She got no response in return. She muttered a curse and rolled him over to his back as carefully as she could, supporting his head. With shaking hands, she placed two fingers on his neck. She was rewarded with a light pulse. Letting out a shuddering sigh of relief, she turned her attention to the source of the blood. The right side of his shirt was matted and torn. Kate ripped the already frayed fabric giving her access to the wound.
Her vision tilted as she saw the wound in all of its gory glory. She slammed her eyes shut and pressed down on the wound with the fabric she tore off, commanding herself to get it together.
It's ok. It's ok. I have to stop the bleeding. It's just Barton. It's just Barton with a hole in his side. It's ok.
A hand weakly landed on hers and caused Kate to almost jump out of her skin. Her eyes flew open in surprise to see Clint's usual bright eyes, now clouded, staring up at her. Kate forced a relaxed smile and fought to pull it together.
"Nice of you to finally join us in the land of the living, Clint. Have a good nap?" The words lost some of their intended snarky edge as she still fought the panic that crept up her body and settled on her chest.
"I've had better, girly girl." Clint answered quietly. A grimace crawled across his face and his eyes started to close once more.
"No you don't." Kate scolded lightly. She patted his cheek. "You don't get to sleep anymore. Nap time's over, Barton."
Kate watched him open his eyes again with what seem to be a great deal of effort. "Can you sit up?" She asked, already placing her arms behind him. He nodded even as she began to sit him up. Once he was vertical she took his hands and placed them on the now bloody ball of fabric on his side. He hissed in pain.
"I know. We need to keep pressure on it though." She smoothed trying to sound as gentle as she could. Kate Bishop was not known as a nurturing sort of person.
Without warning the room tilted once more and started to spin. She closed her eyes against the dizzying color that creeped on the edge of her vision. Deep breaths, Bishop. She coached herself. Deep breaths. Nice and easy.
When her head finally stopped spinning, she opened her eyes again to find Clint staring at her intensely. "You're hurt."
"No, I'm not. You're hurt. What happened?"
His gaze flickered between her face and her side. He opened his mouth to argue but Kate raised a hand cutting him off. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch." The words barely left her mouth when another wave of nausea rolled over her. She wondered if the universe was punishing her for lying. It passed and she ignored Clint's worried gaze. "Don't worry about me." She snapped. "Now tell me what happened."
Clint shifted and a low moan escaped him when the movement didn't agree with his ailing body. "I was getting that Intel and some goon stabbed me."
"Do you still have it?"
Clint gave a weak chuckle. "When did you start caring about the mission, Katie? But yeah, I've got it."
"I just didn't want another lecture from Widow." Kate positioned herself around Clint, putting his arm around of her shoulders. "Can you stand?"
"I think so."
"Alright Hawkeye, let's do this." She anchored her arm around his waist and looped two fingers in the belt loop of his pants.
"You're heavy." She grunted as she pulled him upright and onto his feet. She tried to hide her wince when he leaned heavily against her wound.
"Is that a fat joke?" He quipped weakly. With each slow step, Kate had to support more and more of his weight. When they finally got into the hallway, his body completely gave out and he sagged against her. His head lolled over to the side, resting on her shoulder.
"Clint?" Kate called out, failing to keep the panic out of her voice. "Clint, I can't carry you. I need you to help."
Her pleas fell upon unconscious ears. She was able to drag him along for a few more steps before her own knees buckled. She cursed when she hit the ground hard, bringing Clint down with her.
She already felt sick as she worked at untangling her and Clint's limbs but it was the sound of distant gunfire that made her stomach churn. The next round was considerably closer and Kate barely had enough time to free herself from Clint before her stomach lurched again, this time bringing its contents up with it. When various shades of grey encroached on the edge of her vision, she knew she didn't have much time before she'd be as useless as Clint.
The gunfire seemed to be right out top them now and she scrambled to grab a gun off one of the fallen men. With trembling hands she held the gun in front of her. Her side felt as if it was on fire and her head was swimming but she wasn't about to go down without a fight. Two blurry figures stepped out around the corner and started slowly walking towards them. Kate aimed at the tallest of the blurry blobs.
"Kate, wait!"
Kate blinked hard. How did HYDRA goons know her name? She tightened her grip on the gun. It felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. The trembling in her hands had evolved into violent shaking. Her chest heaved without her permission, her lungs taking in oxygen too quickly. She'd hyperventilate and they'd kill Clint. That thought made her grip the gun until her knuckles ached.
"Katie, stop." Another voice cried out weakly. Kate shook her head, trying to clear it. Everything was bleeding together. Without warning, red filled her vision. She panicked and pulled the trigger. But nothing happened. She tried again with the same results. It was the mangled moan beside her that finally snapped her out of the panic ridden fog and she saw what was actually happening.
Kate's gun had been stripped away from her. Natasha was kneeled in front of her, cold hands gripping each side of her face. Natasha's lips were moving but Kate couldn't make out any of her words over the roar in her ears. She wanted to ask about Clint. She needed to find him. She needed to make sure he was ok, but the words wouldn't form.
She heard another strangled moan and she ripped her face from Natasha's hands. It was Clint. Bobbi was kneeing beside him whispering into his ear. She watched as Bobbi gathered him into her arms, as Kate had did only a few moments ago, and help him stand. Suddenly Kate too was on her feet and moving. Although pulled along was more arcuate. Natasha did most of the moving while Kate did her best to keep up.
Apparently she lost some time along the way. After tripping over her own feet, she let her eyes close. When they opened again she was outside, the cold and snow nipping at her cheeks. She craned her neck and saw the building behind them had been reduced to a smoking pile of rubble. She blinked once more and found herself laying on the floor of the quin jet.
She felt cold hands on her again and strained to focus. The roaring in her ears had finally been silenced. She frowned when she realized that she was flat on her back. The floor was unforgiving but when she tried to turn onto her side she was stopped by the cold hands.
"Don't move." Natasha spoke, moving into her line of sight. Kate hissed with pain as the spy pressed a wad of gauze against her side. "You with us, Kate?"
"Is Clint ok?"
Natasha narrowed her eyes. "That's not what I asked, but yeah, he'll be ok." Kate felt her apply more pressure and tape the gauze down. "You need to worry about yourself. You lost a lot of blood." She gave a frustrated shake of her head. "How you two дураки managed to get seriously injured during such a simple mission, is beyond me."
Kate intended to fire back something snarky but instead found her eyes closing once more against her will. She distantly felt her bangs being swept from her forehead. She barely heard Natasha's soft words before the darkness dragged her down.
"Rest, немного ястреб"